No ‘suite’ win for Gibson in House office lottery

He may have won the Nov. 2 election, but Chris Gibson didn’t come out ahead in a different race today — the all-important House office lottery that determines where new lawmakers will work on Capitol Hill for the next two years.

Rep.-elect Chris Gibson, R-N.Y. (AP Photo)

The contest over congressional real estate is random by design. Today, lawmakers picked numbers out of box that determined the order of office selection.

When Gibson’s turn came, he landed 70 — out of 85. That low position ensured he would get among the worst office options and could forget about any prized view of the Capitol building.

Gibson’s new office — 502 Cannon House Office Building — is more isolated than the first-floor homes of his colleague from the Capital Region, Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., and the lawmaker he is succeeding, Rep. Scott Murphy, D-N.Y.

It also is tricky to get to. Some elevators in the Cannon building do not stop on the fifth floor.

But at least one Gibson aide saw the positive side, describing the new digs as very nice, with a new carpet, drapes and paint.